Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle racial inequalities in the mental health system.

Under the NHS Long Term Plan, all local health systems are expected to set out how they will specifically reduce health inequalities by 2023/24.

In 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement published the Advancing mental health equalities strategy which sets out actions to create more equitable access, experience and outcomes in mental health services in England. Specifically, the strategy includes the development of the patient and carers race equality framework to support mental health services to improve ethnic minority communities’ experience of care. A copy of the strategy is attached.

As part of our plans to reform the Mental Health Act 1983, we are also developing culturally appropriate advocacy for people of all ethnic backgrounds, as well as conducting research that aims to support the improvement in mental health outcomes for people from ethnic minority communities.